The Silence was broken by the tears dropping …

As you all know, I live in Slovakia, and here Nov 11th comes and goes with no real significance, but, not matter where I am in the world, I will always remember.

As updated my facebook, trying not to follow everyone else with their own line of Remembrance.. I sat there, on my own, M is away in the USA, and watched my Son playing. He was running up and down with dinner place mats, yelling…. no idea what was going through his mind, giggling, screaming… then he stopped to look at me, came to me, and hugged me. I was speechless …

So, as I sat there, at 11am, I knew now what Remembrance is to me. I can sit, in a new country, I am not persecuted for being English, Male, Straight, speaking a difference language, doing things my way, in my own small ‘Castle”. I am tolerated, free to have my own beliefs, to live the way I choose…. and there is 1 reason for that…

This is because people, who I do not know, have braved the evils in this world, stood up and fought, against their own will in some wars, to make this happen for me, little me. Now I have my own Son, I believe they also did this for him. I would, like most Fathers, die for my Son, but these strangers died for me and my Son. So, when he is old enough, even living away from the marches, poppy wreaths and ceremonies that take place every year, he will understand that to take 2 minutes, once a year, to remain silent, to think about our fallen heroes, and why these people that defend our right to be tolerated, and to tolerate others is so important.

For some reason, my boy chose that moment to hug his Dad, I held him so tight, I think he nearly stopped breathing, my two minutes was broken by my tears falling onto him, and him saying “DaDa” and wiping my cheek.